Police said the mother, Sara Broadhead, and eldest daughter Mia, 12, escaped through a bedroom window but Andrew stayed in the house to try to save Kiera.

Sara and Mia paid tribute to the pair when they visited the scene at the house on Ash Crescent, in Stanley.

Mia left a letter to her father and sister among the tributes which have been placed at the scene.

It read: ‘To daddy and sissy Kiera, I love you to the moon and much more. I miss you like there’s none of me left. Come back, come back, we need you.’

Mother Sara and eldest daughter Mia suffered only minor injuries after climbing out through a window (Picture: PA)

Andrew Broadhead, a railway engineer, initially escaped the blaze but went back into the house to try and rescue his youngest daughter (Picture: PA)

Sara, 35, said: ‘Andy was a brave hero who managed to save the lives of his wife and eldest daughter. Unfortunately he couldn’t save our youngest daughter Kiera and gave his own life trying to save hers.

‘He was a very kind man and Kiera was a vibrant, independent loving girl. Our whole family are absolutely devastated by their loss.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Bryar said: ‘A 12 -year-old girl has been robbed of a father and a sister and a wife of a husband and a daughter and someone will know why this has happened and who is responsible.’

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.